


Charming

by Mireille



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-05-11
Updated: 2003-05-11
Packaged: 2018-08-16 05:22:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8088820
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mireille/pseuds/Mireille
Summary: "Explain this," Cedric said, walking up to Marcus in the hallway and shoving a magazine in his face.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Like the vast majority of my HP fic, this pre-dates OOTP. It's set near the end of PoA, as it happens, and is what happens when I let people give me fic challenges (I am very bad at walking away from challenges).

"Explain this," Cedric said, walking up to Marcus in the hallway and shoving a magazine in his face. 

"What, you don’t even say hello any more? I'm a bad influence on you." Marcus grinned. "I approve. You'll be almost tolerable soon." 

"The _magazine._ Explain it." 

It occurred to Marcus that anything that had Cedric Diggory practically snapping at him was possibly fairly serious, at least in Cedric's mind, but giving him an actual straight answer wasn't any fun at all. Besides, he'd never seen Cedric thoroughly outraged; it might be entertaining. 

He took the magazine from Cedric. " _Witch Weekly_ ," he said. "Look, I know I called you 'girly' when you were bitching about how violence isn't the solution to anything--which, by the way, you're still wrong about; it completely solved the problem of Malfoy whining during Quidditch practice this morning. But I didn't mean you needed to start reading women's magazines." He glanced at the cover again and grinned. More quietly, he added, "Though before you throw it away, you could read the article on 'Naughty Charms to Spice Up Your Sex Life.'"

Cedric blushed, but was obviously not willing to be distracted. "It's the issue announcing this year's winner of the 'Most Charming Smile' competition." Then he muttered, "And it's not mine; I heard a couple of girls talking, and I borrowed this from them."

Marcus did his best to pretend that he hadn't known exactly where this conversation was going from the moment he saw the magazine. "And...what? You're tearing out the winner's picture to pin to your wall? I really don’t want to know anything about your sordid fantasies."

If possible, the blush deepened. "Then why did you ask me the other night--" At a glare from Marcus, he broke off. Rule number one was, after all, "Marcus Flint does not admit to shagging Hufflepuffs." (Rule number two was "Marcus Flint does not admit, even to deny it, to the possibility that he might actually be _dating_ the Hufflepuff that he is Not Shagging.") 

After a moment, Cedric continued, "Oh, yes, the winner. That's really quite interesting. Here, let me show you." He opened the magazine to a page in the middle. "Recognize him?"

Marcus's grin was the exact duplicate of the one in the large photograph accompanying the article. "Handsome bloke, isn't he?"

"How did you manage it? You haven't got any money. Not enough to pay off the editors."

He shook his head. "What makes you think I paid them off?"

"I've seen you smile." Quickly, he added, "It's not _bad,_ once you get used to it, but it's not--" Cedric sighed. "My mum takes _Witch Weekly_. You know who usually wins that competition? Blokes like that Professor Lockhart we had last year. For you to have won--"

"You're accusing me of cheating."

Cedric's brow furrowed. "Well, _yes."_ In a disapproving tone, he went on, "Really, Marcus. I can understand why you cheated at Quidditch--it's utterly despicable, of course, but I can see.... House rivalries, that sort of thing, I can see where it might have occurred to someone who... um...."

"Has no morals whatsoever," Marcus supplied. 

"Well. Er. Something like that." He fidgeted for a moment; Cedric was never comfortable with reminders that he was dealing with Marcus Flint--cheat, liar, and all-round nasty bastard. Then he seemed to regain his momentum, and, with increasing volume, added, "But this? There's no point to it. There's no money involved, not a lot of prestige, nothing." 

He didn't even pause for breath, and even when Marcus took hold of his elbow and steered him down a side passageway, away from the main corridor, he kept talking. Cedric didn't normally say all that much, but once he got upset about something, it was almost impossible to silence him. "And it's going to be obvious to anyone and everyone that you've cheated, Marcus, you aren't going to get away with it, and you just... you ought to be _ashamed_ of yourself." 

Cedric didn't seem to notice that Marcus had backed him against the corridor wall, either. "Just utterly ridiculous, and I ought to go to Professor Dumbledore about it--I _will_ go to him, you can't be allowed to--" 

Whatever he was about to say was abruptly silenced when Marcus kissed him, hard, not pulling away until they were both breathless. "This doesn't make you right. Not at _all,"_ he said when they finally separated, but he kissed Marcus back just as hard. 

Marcus grinned to himself. It had been a lot of trouble getting Bole and Bletchley to help him enchant that copy of the magazine, and it had cost him ten Sickles to bribe those girls with so they'd talk about it in front of Cedric.

It had been worth it, though. Righteous indignation looked amazingly good on Cedric.


End file.
